Since its announcement, every “Star Wars” fan has been waiting for the sequel to the critically acclaimed “Force Unleashed” to drop. Then there were the teaser trailers, where it was unveiled that the hero, Starkiller, would dual wield lightsabers. This really got everyone’s hopes up. The only trouble is, this return trip to George Lucas’ universe just isn’t as satisfying or groundbreaking as the original.
Systems » Xbox 360, PS3, WiiPrices » $59.99, $49.99Rating » 3 out of 5 stars
It all comes down to the story. Starkiller has been cloned by Darth Vader. The clone, haunted by the memories of the original, escapes and goes searching for Juno Eclipse (his love interest from the first game) to discover who he is. It sounds like it could be good, but everything falls short of expectations.
The excessive use of the Force is just what you would expect — and that’s the problem. It doesn’t feel like a step forward. Using two lightsabers, though, is amazing, and every bit as fun as could be hoped.
There are points that will blow your mind: cutscenes and early gameplay, specifically. But it grows repetitive — in some areas you are almost forced to spam certain special moves to survive. This tactic may look good but is not very fulfilling after the first few uses. On top of that, there is not a large array of bad guys to throttle with all these cool powers.
Traveling all over the universe made the first game a real adventure. “Unleashed II” feels more like a psychological trip, with almost everything focused on Starkiller’s emotions and how he copes with betrayal. There are barely half as many worlds traveled to as the first game — thankfully, most levels are longer.
The game offers a strong mix of gameplay and story, but it feels more like LucasArts is trying to set up a film series rather than break ground in the gaming industry.
